Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
President Obama Golfs 52 Times While U.S. Suffers
President Obama Golfs 52 Times While U.S. Suffers
by Emily Miller
10/11/2010
President Obama has played 52 rounds of golf in less than two years in office. The U.S. unemployment, down economy and two wars have not tampered his leisure time. In comparison, President Bush played a total of 24 rounds of golf in eight years.
The pictures of the President wearing oxford-style, brown and white golf shoes and zipping around green golf courses in an electric cart are insensitive and inappropriate.
While the United States is in a severe economic crisis, the unemployment rate is stuck at 9.6% and families struggle to make ends meet, Obama spends an average of four to five hours playing each 18-hole round of golf.
Golf is a leisure activity for the well-to-do. The White House does not say if the President pays the green fees himself, but the cost for an 18-hole round of golf includes greens fees, cart rental, tips, clubs and balls.
Obama plays with golf balls stamped with the number "44,” which Titleist makes specially for him. Whether the President pays for the balls or accepts them as a gift is unclear.
The President mostly plays taxpayer-funded military golf courses in the Washington, D.C., area. He’s played 18 times at the Fort Belvoir golf course in Virginia and 17 times at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. He also played one time at the private Army Navy Country Club, which grants honorary memberships to Presidents.
He plays golf quite a bit while on his many family vacations. He played twice in two days in April at the Golf at Grove Park Inn, while on vacation in Asheville, N.C.
The Obama family has spent the past two summer vacations on the chi-chi Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. While there, the President played golf five times at the private, members-only Vineyard Golf Club (once with billionaire New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.)
While hobnobbing with the rich and powerful on Cape Cod, Obama has also golfed twice at Farm Neck Golf Club, which costs $145 per person for an 18-hole round of golf. He’s also played twice at the Mink Meadows Golf Club, which costs $80 per person for the 9-hole course, plus $26 for the electric golf cart.
Obama has played four rounds of golf while vacationing in his native Hawaii (where he first played the game in high school.) He played the courses at Luana Hills Country Club, Mid-Pacific Country Club and Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course.
The President’s golfing skills are not publicly known, however, witnesses to the President’s game over the past two years estimate his scores range from the low 90s to the low hundreds.
“We never hear about his golf scores. About as secret as nuclear launch codes,” tweeted CBS Radio’s White House correspondent Mark Knoller after the President’s 52nd round on Saturday.
“I don't like my golf swing,” the President told Russian TV in July 2009. “It's a game that I keep on thinking I should be good at, and somehow the ball goes this way and that way and never goes straight.”
From a public relations perspective, the President jaunting around golf courses shows he is out of touch he is with Americans’ economics struggles and the sacrifice of the military at war.
President Bush stopped playing golf in August 2003 out of respect for the military and their families during war. "I feel I owe it to the families to be ... in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," he said.
"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf,” said Bush.
From a practical perspective, the President has wasted about 250 hours playing golf (not counting the travel time to and from the courses) in the 20 months he has been in the White House.
Hmmm...
Come to think of it, when Obama has been at his desk, he's given us excessive government spending, ObamaCare and almost 10% unemployment.
So maybe Americas are better off if Obama spends more time playing golf and less time messing up the country. FORE!
Become a Student of Change by Denis Waitley
Become a Student of Change by Denis Waitley
As the world becomes more interconnected, events outside your industry and career have an impact on your business, your family and your pocketbook. Whatever your daily routine, it takes place in a larger context of social, technological, political, economic and cultural change. To be successful today, you must understand that world. Without that, you won't be prepared to innovate; you'll only be able to react and to avoid.
Many people will tell you it doesn't matter how well-informed you are. "You can't do anything about it anyway," goes the refrain, "so why bother to find out about things?" Here's a newspaper editorial that sums up this attitude:
The world is too big for us. Too much going on, too much crime, violence and change. Try as you will, you get behind in the race. It's an incessant strain to keep pace and still you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment. Everything in business and life is high pressure. Human nature can't endure much more!
This newspaper editorial reads as if it were written last week. But it actually appeared more than 177 years ago on June 16, 1833, in The Atlantic Journal back in the "good old days!"
How can you avoid becoming a casualty of the "bad new days"? Take the offensive. Instead of "stewing," start "doing." Pay attention to the early warning signs of change. Look for changes in your industry, your family life and your region. You cannot innovate if your understanding of change is misinformed, incomplete or outdated.
Success in the new era is heavily dependent upon innovation, creativity and solving problems for which there are no precedents. While new technology is often the driver of economic and social change, the real opportunities are created by individuals who apply technology in new ways. Fred Smith, operating outside of the airline industry, created Federal Express because he saw the trend of speed in delivery of goods and services.
Your success depends on how well you think. You are not paid to collect, sort, store or retrieve information, although you do these things every day. You are paid to interpret that information and create and implement new ideas.
Ask yourself:
- What can I offer that "they" aren't offering? Where's the niche that hasn't been developed? How can I add value to the service or products I promote?
- Where is the market inefficiency? What would make this process more convenient? How can I do this less expensively?
- What would people pay for that isn't available now? Which consumer groups and Internet communities are the most likely prospects who want what I provide? What trends will change my and their assumptions about the quality of life?
Breakthrough ideas often occur when you are calmly searching for opportunities. They rarely occur when you are anxious and frustrated. Close your eyes and dream!
NAR airs grievances with lenders
NAR airs grievances with lenders
Realtors: Credit too tight, REO and short-sale policies unclear
By Inman News, Wednesday, October 13, 2010.
Inman News
The National Association of Realtors is holding a series of meetings with major lenders over the difficulties would-be homebuyers have in obtaining loans, as well as what the trade group characterized as lenders' problematic policies on short sales and "real estate owned" (also known as bank-owned or REO) properties.
Too often, the Realtors' trade group complained in a report on its initial two meetings with Bank of America and Wells Fargo, decisions by lenders and loan servicers are made in a "black box" and appear to be inconsistent and sometimes irrational.
"If the lenders and (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) disclosed more detail about their policies for underwriting loans, valuing property, selecting brokers for REO listings, and evaluating and approving a short sale, Realtors would be able to close more deals -- to the benefit of everyone involved," the report said.
FHA and the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac "have become over-focused on safety at the expense of their mission," and should return to "a reasonable center" in determining credit policies, NAR said.
Credit for condo purchases is a "special problem," the group said, as extra fees and a policy restrictions have "doomed whole buildings in many areas to long-term vacancy."
Inaccurate appraisals on all types of residential properties continue to be a concern, especially in markets that have bottomed or started to recover, and also in areas with large numbers of distressed sales, NAR said.
In the short-sale arena, the Obama administration's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA) has yet to have an impact, NAR said, because lenders' front-line loan-servicing staff know little about the program.
Realtors are also concerned about last-minute attempts to reduce their commissions on short sales, an issue HAFA attempts to address by setting commissions up front.
On non-HAFA short sales, NAR "urges lenders to make commissions policies more transparent and to treat real estate professionals fairly by agreeing not to reduce commissions at or shortly before closing."
The report also raises concerns that lenders haven't spread their REO listings among enough brokers, leaving some brokers with "so many REO listings that they are unable to market and show the property, assess all offers, and give the best offer to the bank."
NAR said it met with the leaders of Bank of America Home Loans on July 7, and with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage on Aug. 26. A meeting with Chase Home Mortgage is planned for Oct. 26, and with CitiMortgage on a date to be determined.
"Both banks sought to assure NAR that they understand the problems our members are facing and are working hard to address them," NAR said.
When it comes to underwriting standards, lenders say that for the most part they must follow the lead of FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
Wells Fargo officials outlined lending principles adopted at the beginning of the downturn that have resulted in essentially no growth in residential mortgage lending in the last three years, the report said. Those policies also laid the groundwork for future growth, the report said.
"NAR is not yet seeing improvement, and communicated that reality to the banks," NAR said in its report. "We have resolved to work more closely together on solutions."
Lenders are "well aware" of issues with appraisals, and "report they are working to address these problems," NAR said. Bank of America officials briefed NAR on a new geographic proximity policy the bank believes will help alleviate the issue of appraisers working in markets they are unfamiliar with, the report said.
Wells Fargo has published a short-sale guide for Realtors, which NAR has posted on Realtor.org for access by its members.
Bank of America offers a website that provides educational materials on short sales for real estate professionals.
Wells Fargo told NAR that about 90 percent of HAFA applicants are unable to complete a short sale because the property, the loan, or the borrower does not qualify. The most common reason a short sale does not qualify for HAFA is that the property is vacant, and that with limited exceptions for job transfers, HAFA requires owner occupancy.
NAR said lenders acknowledge that a key provision of the HAFA program -- identifying the required minimum net proceeds up front -- can improve their own proprietary programs.
Lenders all have their own short-sale programs, NAR noted, and Bank of America is undertaking a pilot program that includes identifying the required net proceeds up-front to facilitate both marketing the property and approval of the short sale. Under the program, Bank of America reduced the average time for processing a short sale to under 60 days, NAR said.
NAR acknowledged that lenders waste time processing short-sale offers from "straw buyers" that are not genuine offers. The fake offers are made to determine what price the bank will approve the sale at when a real offer is submitted, NAR said.
"While this behavior is understandable in light of the extreme frustration with the delays getting a decision whether to approve a sales contract, it is inappropriate. NAR urges its members not to participate in this technique," the report said.
Although NAR started meeting with lenders before the "robo signing" scandal over foreclosure procedures broke, it said the controversy only drives home the point that lenders are often better off approving short sales or entering into loan modifications with borrowers than foreclosing.
"NAR has long urged the lending industry to take every feasible action to keep families in their homes with a loan modification and, if that is not possible, to give them a 'graceful exit' through a short sale," the group said in a letter to federal regulators.
"These options are far better than a foreclosure, and nothing has driven this point home more clearly than the questions being raised about foreclosures. Lenders should place additional resources into processing loan modifications and short sales."
In the letter -- to the Treasury Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- NAR said banks need to move quickly to assure that the rights of borrowers are protected, and to remove doubt that buyers will receive clear title to their purchase.
Banks implicated in the robo-signing scandal should be allowed to finish their reviews of their internal procedures and resume foreclosures quickly in order "to return stability to families, the housing market and the economy," NAR said.
NAR said it's receiving reports from Realtors that foreclosure moratoriums put into effect by some lenders are already creating some anxiety among purchasers as transactions are being delayed, and that some foreclosure listings are being removed from the market.
dabeisner@yahoo.com has shared: null
| null Source: inman.com | |
Power from Empowerment by Denis Waitley
Power from Empowerment by Denis Waitley
A good way to think of leadership is the process of freeing your team members to do the best work they possibly can. I have followed NBA basketball coach Phil Jackson’s career.
Like Phil Jackson who moved from the record setting Chicago Bulls to the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson says his principal task is creating an environment in which his players can flourish. In communicating with his championship teams, Jackson convinced them that they had the talent to win championships, and that the main goal of the coach was going to be freeing them to use that talent.
Today’s business team members say they want, more than anything else, the autonomy to do their jobs without the boss’s interference. In the new century, it’s already clear that the CEOs of our best-run companies believe that the more power leaders have, the less they should use.
The job of the team leader is to set a mission, decide upon a strategic direction, achieve the necessary cooperation, delegate authority—and then let people innovate. To do that we all could take a hint from late football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Before his retirement as one of the leading coaches in college football history at Alabama, Bryant observed:
I’m just a plowhand from Arkansas, but I’ve learned how to put and hold a team together. I’ve learned how to lift some individuals up and how to calm others down, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together, as a team. To do that, there are just three things I’d ever have to say: If anything went wrong, I did it. If it went semi-good, then we did it. If anything went real good, then you did it! That’s really all it takes to get other people to win for you.
The key to authentic leadership is to listen to your followers, and then open the door for them to lead themselves. The secret is empowerment. The main incentive is genuine caring and recognition.
The five most important words a leader can speak are: “I am proud of you.”
The four most important are: “What is your opinion?”
The three most important are: “If you please.”
The two most important are: “Thank you.”
And the most important single word of all is: “You!”
The Butterfly Effect by Ron White
The Butterfly Effect by Ron White
It was 1960 and meteorologist Edward Lorenz was working in his lab. He was entering data into his computer in the hope of modeling weather patterns when he stumbled upon a theory that is known as “The Butterfly Effect.” He was entering wind speed, air pressure and temperature into three separate equations that were linked in a mathematical feedback loop. This equation allowed Lorenz to predict weather patterns.
One day Lorenz was in a bit of a hurry and opted to take a shortcut when entering the data. He rounded the numbers to the nearest one thousandth rather than to the nearest one millionth (for example, .407 instead of .407349). As a scientist, he knew this would change the result—however he expected only a minor change. Lorenz was astounded to discover that this tiny change made a profound impact on the final resulting weather pattern. This discovery led Lorenz to ponder: Does the flap of a butterfly’s wing in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas? Thus, you have “The Butterfly Effect” theory.
This theory has been applied to all areas of science since Lorenz’s 1960 experiment.
What does it mean for your life?
It means that every decision or action that you make—no matter how small—could potentially dramatically alter the course of your life. My life, as I am sure is the case with yours, is a testimony to the butterfly effect. When I was 12 years old, I met a friend named Brian in P.E. class. More than two decades later, Brian is still my best friend. At the age of 12, Brian had a thirst for learning and studying (the other 12-year-olds called him a nerd), and he was a fitness fanatic. He still has these qualities, and because of our friendship they rubbed off on me. At the age of 18, I needed a job and he secured me a job where he worked as a telemarketer. My third day on the job, I made a telemarketing call to someone in the seminar business. He thought I was a good telemarketer and offered me a job over the phone.
Did you follow that?
You are receiving this email from me, reading my books, or hearing me speak because I was offered a job at the age of 18 from a seminar company. I would have never been offered that job if Brian hadn’t gotten me the telemarketing job, and Brian would never have known me if we hadn’t met at the age of 12 in P.E! I have an insatiable desire for learning that began at age 12 and have developed into a fitness fanatic as well. Most of the major events in my life can be traced back to a conversation in a gym two decades ago—that is “The Butterfly Effect.”
ACTION POINTS
- Realize that “The Butterfly Effect” is very real, and small decisions or actions can make a huge impact on your life.
- Take responsibility for your decisions, actions and friends—even the tiny decisions—realizing that they can dramatically alter the course of your life.
- Understand the importance of attention to detail. Years before 1986, the smallest flaw was overlooked in a Space Shuttle O-ring. That flaw led to a horrific “Butterfly Effect” and the deaths of seven astronauts years later in January 1986.
- Do not allow “The Butterfly Effect” to paralyze you from inaction. Instead, use it as the spark of motivation to fan the fire of action—realizing that you control your destiny even in the tiniest of ways.
Article: Five Things to Consider Before You Refinance - By Mike Peterson
** Article: Five Things to Consider Before You Refinance - By Mike Peterson **
---------------------------------------------------
Interest rates are historically low -- should you jump on the refinancing bandwagon?
Thinking about refinancing your home? Interest rates are dropping and people across the country are looking for ways to make the most of their money. While refinancing can help put a little extra cash in your pocket and give you a little more wiggle room in your monthly budget, it's not a cure-all for every financial issue.
Refinancing your home is a big decision. Is it right for you?
The truth is, there's no perfect set of guidelines or one-size-fits-all rulebook when it comes to refinancing your home. But if you really want to make sure you're doing the right thing (for the right reasons), you may want to ask yourself a few questions:
1. Why are you refinancing your home?
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's not as straightforward as it sounds. There are dozens of reasons homeowners consider refinancing, and some aren't as solid as others. If you're refinancing your home to help pay for your teen's college costs or to escape an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), you're probably doing the right thing. On the other hand, if you're refinancing your home to pay off your massive amounts of credit card debt, well ...
2. Will refinancing help you -- really help you -- in the long run?
If you're refinancing your home because you're drowning in credit card debt., first make sure that you've made the commitment to change your spending habits.
Refinancing in order to pay off credit card debt is not necessarily a "sound" reason to do a refinance. The biggest problem is that you are taking unsecured (credit card) debt and trading it for secured (mortgage) debt, ultimately that could cost you your home, if your finances got really ugly. The other major problem with this is that most people who refinance their homes to pay off credit card debt don't tend to learn anything about living within their means: They end up owing more on their home, and they usually go right back to racking up credit card debt: After just 18 to 24 months, many end up owing the same amount again on credit cards.
Don't let your refinance turn into an excuse to spend more.
3. How long will it take to break even?
When you refinance, you are responsible for paying fees and closing costs associated with your new loan (for most homeowners, this comes out to be around $2,000). Before you refinance, you should run a few numbers to determine your "break-even point" -- that's the amount of time it will take you to recoup what you paid out.
To find your break-even point, you simply divide your mortgage fees by the amount of money you're saving each month. So, if you saved, say $120 a month by refinancing your home, and you paid $3,000 in closing costs and other fees:
$3,000 (closing costs)/$120 (monthly savings) = 25
In this example, your break-even point is 25 months, or just over two years.
Of course, you should keep in mind that if you're lengthening the terms of your loan, you may be doing more harm than good. This can be an issue when people refinance in the hopes of lowering their monthly payments ... but end up extending the life of their loan by another five years or so. In cases like this, the interest costs you'll end up paying probably aren't worth it -- especially if you intend to live in your home for the long haul.
4. Is your credit (still) good?
Or, more to the point, is it as good or better than it was when you got your original loan? If you've hit some hard times, financially, your credit score may not be what it once was. Before you try to refinance your home, consider your current credit: Do you have any new debt? Late payments or delinquencies? If so, you may not be able to get a low enough interest rate to justify a refinance. You may be better off with your current mortgage.
5. Have you done your homework?
Before you seriously consider refinancing your home, you should make sure you're making an informed decision. Shop around with several different lenders (of course, you should check with your current lender, too -- most banks want to keep their customers) and read up on the costs and benefits of refinancing. At the end of the day, you are the only person who can decide if refinancing is the right way to go.
Article: Why Coworkers Don't Make Good Facebook Friends - By Jessica Simko
** Article: Why Coworkers Don't Make Good Facebook Friends - By Jessica Simko **
---------------------------------------------------
Work life and Facebook -- it seems like a never-ending discussion topic nowadays. There are many things to consider in regards to your personal and career brand. Yet so many people are either unaware of them or do not fully understand the ramifications of the content they might share online. For millions of people, this includes sharing their page and their personal lives with their coworkers. Many people feel that coworkers are just "buddies from work" and all is well as long as the bosses aren't their Facebook friends. If this describes your thoughts about coworkers as Facebook friends, you may be in for a rude awakening.
As a general rule of thumb, I advise people to not invite or accept coworkers as Facebook friends unless their posts, pictures, and videos are not deeply personal and are always clean, upbeat, and in good taste. Some people do choose to invite coworkers, managers, and other professionals because they are intentionally using Facebook to leverage their career brand. This is a great way to use Facebook and I highly encourage it.
However, my general rule applies to those who use Facebook more so for personal use -- which seems to be the majority of people. It is for those who typically friend their coworkers without much thought. I recognize that your best friend and someone you trust with your life might be your coworker and Facebook friend. I am not necessarily talking about those people but more so any coworker who does not fall in that "best friend" category. People who friend coworkers should be aware of the serious issues that could arise.
Does Your Facebook Content Look Like This?
*"I hate Mondays!", "Why am I at work when I would rather be somewhere else?", "What a long day... wish it was over", "Not looking forward to going back to the grind tomorrow", "Can't wait to the head to the bar to get my drunk on!" "Sometimes I just want to beat the crap out of people", "I swear my life sucks", "Why is everyone a backstabber?" (or anything even remotely similar).
*Drama related content -- telling the world about your arguments with others or sharing details about all the different problems you might have.
*Arguing or using profane language.
*Videos, photos and articles that are in bad taste (profane or sexually explicit content).
*"Liking" pages that are in bad taste (ex: "yourname likes I hate my job!")
Consider the Ramifications:
*Many employees talk and gossip on a regular basis. They can't help themselves. Who are they sharing your content with? Your boss? Another coworker who might share it with your boss? Maybe. How do you know they aren't?
*A coworker might not intentionally share what you post but it gets out anyway due to frustration. Typical scenario: Boss asks your coworker to stay late to work on a project and to ask for your help. Coworker inadvertently says, "She won't help, she's been posting all over Facebook how she can't wait to get out of here". The boss makes a mental note of it and considers that and other things he might have heard when evaluating your potential for advancement in the company. Potential leaders in a company should not be posting statements like that on Facebook! It gives the impression that they don't really like their job.
*A coworker Facebook friend gets promoted and now is your boss or is a manager elsewhere in the company -- a person who might now have a say about your future potential with the company. The facts are, you can be a model employee at work but people typically cannot separate what they learn about on you on Facebook from your great work on the job. Careless postings on Facebook can shatter your strong career brand no matter how great your performance is at work.
*You take a sick day. You go out to lunch and then check in at the restaurant on Foursquare, which subsequently posts on your Facebook page. Or maybe you just mention your lunch in an unrelated Facebook conversation that evening. Either way, your integrity is now in question. Situations like this can also cause you to be fired!
*You are at work "doing your job". But throughout the day, your Facebook page is somehow publishing a stream of updates from Farmville, Mafia Wars, Frontierville and results from a few random quizzes. Your coworker Facebook friend notices this and talks about it at the water cooler. It eventually gets back to your boss. These kinds of things really do happen and this is another example of a situation that can cause you to be terminated from employment.
It's Time for Damage ControlI can't stress enough how important it is to be cautious about adding coworkers to your Facebook page. Consider how much easier and less stressful it would be to separate your personal life from your professional life!
If you have not been careful about the quality of your content and you have coworkers as Facebook friends, you should start doing a bit of damage repair.
It is not necessary to go in and "unfriend" your coworkers as they have already read your content. Your best course of action is to completely change your online image and work hard at reversing the damage for at least a month or two. Leverage yourself and post only high-level content that will change the perception that others (specifically, your coworkers!) have of you.
I do recommend deleting controversial content that already exists on your page. But spend the majority of your time concentrating on building a strong, positive image of you. Your coworkers will notice the change and their image of you will start to change. After a month or two, I would remove all your coworkers from your page and simply explain that you want to keep your personal and professional life separate. Trust me, having your coworkers trust and respect you is far more important than having them as Facebook friends!
